Villages As Businesses



Villages As Businesses (VAB) is a community-based membership organization which has been established to assist communities in developing their infrastructure so that they can offer community experience tours to local and international visitors, so that these visitors can experience the lifestyle of our villages, our people, our heritage, our culture, our Jamaican foods and so much more.

The Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) has over the past 35 years developed positive relationships with many communities all over Jamaica.

This has resulted in a large network being established, and many of these communities have been offered without cost, sensitization training programs showing the benefits of community tourism.

Many of these communities have been, and still are, actively involved with the creation of new businesses, which then are included in the Countrystyle ‘Community Experience’.

In recognizing the need for communities to be properly trained, CCTN in collaboration with the National Best Community Foundation (NBCF) set up the Villages as Businesses program.

Funding has now been received from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) REDI project to assist nine communities in 6 parishes in Jamaica.

This funding will be used for the training of community entrepreneurs in each Village, and to prepare them for market ready tours that can be included in the Jamaica Tourist Board’s marketing campaign, and also offered to local and international Tour Operators and the local accommodation sector.

Training is provided in hospitality skills, small business management, product development, marketing and community governance.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, through Permanent Secretary Mrs. Jennifer Grifith, has endorsed the Villages as Businesses program, stating that:

    "It will complement the Government of Jamaica’s emerging thrust towards community-based tourism and encouraging provision of assistance to Countrystyle Community Tourism Network."

The CCTN/VAB Board of Directors has been formed with the Chairman being Professor Ian Boxill, Head of the Centre for Tourism and Policy Research.

VAB Member Villages

Nine village communities have been named to receive JSIF/REDI funding in the first phase of this program.

Others that have subsequently been enrolled as members are:

  • Camrose, St James
  • Middle Quarters, St Elizabeth

Villages or Communities enrolled in this program can submit information about their village by clicking here.

International Recognition

Countrystyle's Diana Mcintyre-Pike has been at the forefront of getting global recogniton of Jamaica's Community Tourism and Villages as Businesses models through her work with Unesco and the International Instiute for Peace Though Tourism (IIPTT).

Over the past twenty years, Jamaica has hosted groups from St. Lucia, Dominica and the United States to study our model of community tourism, which has won many international and local Responsible Tourism Awards.

Jamaica is now recognized thoughout the Caribbean, and internationally as the pioneer and leader in sustainable community tourism, which includes village tourism, heritage tourism, eco-tourism, health tourism and others

There is one International Chapter of the CCTN/VAB – South Africa.

The Caribbean chapter is being formed and will be launched at the end of August 2012.

CCTN Villages as Businesses is also a member of the ...

International Coalition of Tourism Partners

Endorsements

Many organizations have endorsed the CCTN's Villages as Businesses. Some of them are:

  • National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations (NAJASO)

  • Sandals Foundation

  • Western Hospitality Institute

  • Northern Caribbean University Morris Entrepreneurship Centre

  • Hamilton Knight and Associates

  • Positive Tourism Network (Pancarib)

  • International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT)

  • Jamaica National Building Society

  • Mandeville Hotel

  • Sunset Resort & Villas – Treasure Beach

  • My Jamaica Travels

  • Leisure for Pleasure Vacations and tours

  • I am Jamaica

  • Glamour Destination Management

  • FIT Consultancy Limited

  • Jamaica Standard Products Limited

  • National Best Community Foundation (NBCF)

  • Marigot Village Dominica

  • Charles Town Maroon Council

  • Beeston Spring Community Development Committee

  • Resource Citizens Association

  • Axe and Adze Community Development Committee

  • Hanover Homecoming

  • Round Hill Hotel Hopewell Hanover

  • Albert Town Citizens Association

  • Belmont Cherry Hill Nature tour

  • Dominica Association of Local Community Authorities (DALCA) Inc

  • UWI Centre for Tourism and Policy Research


More Information

You can view and download the following brochures ...


Contact Diana to book tours or for more information about the Villages as Businesses initiative, or if you wish to help and support this program either by ...

  • Picking-A-Project While On Vacation
  • Adopting-A-Village While on Vacation


Member Village Profiles

Is Your Village or Community Enrolled in
The Villages as Businesses Program
run by CCTN ?

If so, please set up your page here.

Write 300 words or more telling your target visitor what your Village or Community has to offer.

Up to 4 photos can be submitted below, but please resize them to a width of 450 pixels.


In the Title box enter the name of your Village or Community and its location separated by a comma.
e.g. Camrose, St James



See What Other Villages or Communities Have Submitted

Click links below to see other submissions ...

Harrywatch 
Harry Watch in Manchester is a rural settlement, which was formed from six English slave settlers' properties and located about 52 mi (or 84 km) west of …

Visitors Enjoying the Cuisine at Ahhh...Ras Natango

Camrose Village 
Camrose is perched up in the hills of St James overlooking the city of Montego Bay. We are over 2000 feet above sea level. You can feel your ears pop …

Click here to write your own.



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